Clutch



Sept. 16, 1941. J. J. FLICKINGER CLUTCH 7 Filed Oct. 4, 1940 I 3 Sheets -Sheet l Attorney Sept. 1 J. J. FLICKINGER CLUTCH Filed Oct. 4, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor 411 Jaca$ //'c k/n er- A ttome y Sept. 16,1941. J. J. FLICKINGER 2,256,258

CLUTCH Filed 001;. 4, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheets 4 itomey I views, and wherein:

Pia-ma 8...; is, 1941 I cw'rcn John Jacob Flickinger, Hasslllon, 16f one-tenth to Raymond 0,

Ohio, assignorhlorgan, Orrvllle,

I Application October 4, 1940, Serial No. 359,809

2 Claims. (Cl. ice-4s) The present invention relates to new andusei'ul improvements in clutches and has for its primary object to provide, in a .manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character embodying a novel construction and arrangement through the medium of which mercury, acting under the influence of centrifugal force, is utilized for engaging the clutch.

Another very important object of'the invention is to provide a mercury clutch of theaforementioned character which embodies unique ,means for manually controlling the device.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a clutch of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly emcient and reliable in ,use, compact, light in weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a clutch provided therefor in the member '2. The shaft constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 5 is'a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 8-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional'view, taken substantially on the line 6- of Figure 3. drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a sub- 7 Referring now to the stantially drum shaped housing I of suitable metal which is secured on a drive 3. Aclosureplatelisweldedintherearend portion of the housing, said closure being pro-V "vided with a centrally-located opening I.

The opening 5 accommodates II I a stationary sleeve 6 which projects into the rear portion of the housing I. Any suitable supporting means may be provided for the stationary sleeve t. The

sleeve I terminates in a substantially inner portion 1 the purpose of which will be presently set forth. The rectangular portion I of the sleeve] is transversely disposed in the hous- .ingl. Extendingrotatablythroughthesleeve Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in section, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

member 2 by bolts 5 housing I. I I

'Mounted for lateral sliding'moveinent on theportion I of the sleeve t is whatmay be referred isfornied -i inz into the housing I is a driven shaft having 56 its forward end portion journaled in a bearing 9 8 includes an enlargement on a disc II of suitable in the housing I.

ing I adjacent the II having keyed there- A ring I2 is fixed in the housperiphery of the disc II.

Fixed in the housing I on opposite sides of the ring I2 .and the disc II are shoe retainin casings II which, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 3 of the drawings, are substantially channel shaped in cross section and include conical inner portions I4. Operable in the-annular, substantially channel shaped casings ll are segmental shoes I5 having mounted on their inner faces linings It for frictional engagement with the faces of the disc II. It will be observed that substantially in cross sec- I tion to the shape of the inss-ll.

the shoes I! conform annular retaining cas- Thus, when the shoes I! are moved inwardly on the portions it of the casings l3, said shoes are caused tovfrictionally engage thedisc II.

Lugs II in the outer portions of the casings II are engaged in recesses II in the'shoes I! for positively connecting said shoes to the housing I for rotation therewith. Coil springs I! between the ends of the shoe segments ll yieldingly urge I said shoe segments toward gaged position.

expanded or disen-,

Between the rear shoe retainingcasing I3 and metallic spacing ring 2II the closure plate 4 is-a of angle iron cross section. The ring 20, in conjunction with the plate defines an annular channel or groove II to as a substantially rectangular- Zmetallic-carriage' or member 2:. A'plat'e or-the like 2: re-"l tains the carriage 22 on the por tion 'I oi the The lower portion1 of the jcarriage 22, I

to provideamercurytliamber Proa-. discharge. spout 2s clutch. Communicating-passages I1 inthe elements 20, II and I2 communicate with the channel II for conducting the mercury intothe outer portions of said elements It for soging the J disc II. The also reshoes ll with-the metal which is operable inthe reari portion of the I from one side of 2! is a tubllf' larscoop 2i whichcommunicateswith the cham- 'ber II and which is engaseable'in the channel II for removing the mercur'ytherefromfrom the chamber II is I I whichis adapted to return'the tothe. channel 2i when itis desired to engage the to left as viewedin Fig. of the drawings.

turns 'to'the' channel 2! through the passages 21 when the clutch is being disengaged.

A valve 28 controls the mercin'y discharge spout 26. The valve 28 comprises an operating arm 29 which is engaged in a recess or socket 30 which is provided therefor in the stationary sleeve 6,

Journaled longitudinally in the stationary sleeve 6 is a shaft 3|. Fixed on the rear end portion of the shaft 3|.is an operating lever 32.

Fixed on the forward end portion of the shaft 3|, in the housing I is an arm 23 which carries a headed pin 34. Journaled on the pin 34 is a block 35 which is engaged between a pair of spaced, opposed'lugs 36 which rise from the carriage 22. Thus, when the shaft Si is rocked the carriage 22 is shifted horizontally on the substanjtially rectangular portion I of the stationary sleeve 6. As the carriage 22 is shifted in this manner the valve 28 is opened and closed by reason of the fact that the free end portion of the arm 29 is engaged in the recess 30 in the stationary sleeve 6.

It is thought that the operation of the clutch will be readily apparent from a considerationof the foregoing. The mercury (not shown) is stored in the chamber 24 when the clutch is disengaged. With the mercury in the chamber 24 the shoes l5 are free of the disc I i and it will thus be seen that the housing I is freely rotatable relative to the shaft 8. When it is desired to engage the clutch the shaft 3| is rotated in a direction to shift the carriage 22 from the readers right Thus, the tubular scoop 25. is moved inwardly away from the channel 2| and the valve 28 is opened for permitting the mercury to flow 'from the chamber 24 into said channel 2l.- Of course, up

to this point the housing I is rotating and the shaft 8 is stationary. When the mercury enters the channel 2| it flows through the passages'2l and is driven by centrifugal force into the outer portions of the shoe retaining casings iii. The

comparatively heavy mercury forces the shoes I! inwardly into frictional engagement with the opposite sidesof the. discs II and in this manner said disc with the shaft 8 is coupled to the housing i for rotation therewith. The construction and arrangement is such that the engagement of the clutchis smooth and gradual. When it is desired to disengage the clutch the carriage 22 is shifted from left to right as viewed in Fig. 5 of the drawings. When this occurs thevalve 28 is closed and the tubular scoop is engaged in the 1 channel 2|. As the housing lwith the mercury therein rotates, said mercury is picked up by the scoop 25 from the channel 2l'and returned to the chamber 24. During this operation the mercury in the casings l3 behind the shoes l5 flows back through the passages 21 into the channel 2|. The

shoes II are then disengaged from the disc II by centrifugal force with the assistance of the coil springs It.

It is believed that the many advantages of a' clutch constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of.-construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is: 1. A clutch comprising a. rotary housing, a

shaft extending rotatably-,into said housing, a'

disc fixed on said shaft in the housing, annular casings of substantially channel shaped cross section fixed in the housing on the opposite sides of the disc, segmental shoes operable in said casings and engageable with the disc for connecting the shaft to the housing for rotation therewith, and a comparatively heavy fluid in the housing engageable by centrifugal force with the shoes for engaging said shoes with the disc.

2. A clutch comprising .a rotary housing, a shaft extending rotatably into said housing, a disc fixed on said shaft in the housing, shoes in the housing engageable with the disc for connecting the shaft to the housing for rotation there-,

with, a fluid in the housing engageable by centrifugal force with the shoes-for engaging said I shoes with the disc, and manually operable means for controlling said fluid, said means including a shiftable chamber in the housing for the reception of the fluid, a scoopprojecting from the .chambeninto the housing for receiving the fluid therefrom and conducting said fluid into the chamber, and manually operable means for shifting said chamber. 7

3 A clutch comprising a rotary housing, a shaft extending rotatably into said housing, a disc fixed-on said shaft in the housing, shoes in the housing engageable with the opposite sides of the disc for frictionally connecting the shaft to the housing for rotation therewith, a comparatively heavy fluid in the housing engageable hv centrifugal force with the shoes for engaging said I shoes with the disc, thehousing having a channel 1 therein for the reception of the fluid, a shiftable 

